Spring Micro-trip - South East Coast USA.

[Pete5000]

I'm planning to do the following little circle for a week in May:

Crossing at Sarnia, down thru the nasty Detroit/Toledo area, cruising down to WV and on to Myrtle Beach.
Stopping there for a couple of days of (what I hope to be) reasonably warm days on which to unwind on the beach with a
deck chair and a pitcher of Mojito.

Then I'm going to meander up the Carolina coastline, check out Kitty Hawk, try to stay out of the Alligator river,
smell the Great Dismal Swamp, eventually crossing the Chesapeake Bay Bridge (20 miles of it!) and in to Dover, DE.

From there, back home, making sure to go for Intercourse, probably Hershey, up through the Finger lakes region,
and back to London.

Has anyone been on the road/bridge from Chesapeake to Dover?

 

[174Racing]

Sounds like a good ride but with a slow start... why the SW Ontario-Detroit-Ohio detour? Not too much in the way of bike roads until very eastern Ohio, why not go down through Pennsylvania and get to some enjoyable roads sooner? Even from London I think Erie shore through Ft. Erie and down to Allegany Nat'l forest would be more interesting.

Unless your going to check out a $500 investment property in Detroit first...!

 

[killerkeith]

Agreed...forget Michigan and Ohio.

 

[Pete5000]

Unless your going to check out a $500 investment property in Detroit first...!

How'd you know that? Nah really I have family to visit in Sarnia first - don't see going all the way back to Buffalo on day 1.

 

[pyro_]

Used to live in chessapeake/Virginia beach area, the bay bridge is not too bad as long as the wind is not too high otherwise you will be leaned over like you are in a turn just to go strait. Also watch out for cops along there as they love to catch ppl. Anotehr word of caution for you is that in virginia doing 20+ MPH or 80 MPH is considered reckless driving for which you have to show up in court. also if you go anywhere near Empria, VA which is at I-95 and route 58 DO NOT SPEED until you are at least outside the town limits if not a bit further, the cops there will nail you if you are going even 1MPH over. if you have any questions for that area let me know. it has been a couple of years since i lived down there but might have some answers for you or else might be able to point you in the right direction.

 

[Rotten_Ronnie]

How'd you know that? Nah really I have family to visit in Sarnia first - don't see going all the way back to Buffalo on day 1.

The glacier scrubbed that area flat.

I hope you do a ride report, i'd like to read about the coastal part and see some highlights.

 

[suzuki2000]

I've been on the bridge, not on a bike though, good luck !

 

[speedster]

I've been on the bridge, not on a bike though, good luck !

It's actually a bridge/tunnel/causeway. Toll is $12 to cross! Although, you'll definitely exceed that much in gas and road tolls detouring around the Chesapeake Bay and thru DC (150km detour loop).

I'd be interested if you could keep all you receipts and report back at the end on what you paid in total for road tolls and bridge tolls, just out of curiosity. I'd imagine it would probably be $50 or possibly more depending on route choice.

 

[Pete5000]

I'd be interested if you could keep all you receipts and report back at the end on what you paid in total for road tolls and bridge tolls, just out of curiosity. I'd imagine it would probably be $50 or possibly more depending on route choice.

I'm almost home now, so I will answer your question. On the way down I did take the W VA turnpike which cost me $6. The Chesapeake BB was indeed $12. Out of Dover, DE I used a chunk of State Hwy 1 for $2, but it could have been $4 if I'd stayed on it. I crossed the Delaware memorial bridge into NJ, and discovered that they let you into NJ for free, but you have to pay to get out! $5 for the Barry bridge south of Philly. I have yet to cross back into Canada, and I will be using the Nexus bridge at Niagara.

Oh and the Bluewater Bridge at Sarnia, but I have tokens for that, I think it's $3 regular.

In effect, apart from getting into/out of the USA, the only bridge that was a must was $12.

 

[Pete5000]

So this trip is complete! I will only post a few pictures though, as I didn't take many. I know many of you are in the search for twisties, but this wasn't the trip for that.
I had some great food along the way, and (even though many of you hate this) some wonderfully serene moments of cruising along empty interstates with great scenery.

My reason for going was to hang out at the beach for a few days, and there was great weather, the ocean was WARM and the sand was SOFT!

I did leave the highways for a time, most notably in Ohio for the 555 and in Pennsylvania for some Intercourse - but I am sad to say almost every time I did that,
I was greeted by very slow traffic that was determined, by hell or high water, not to let me pass. IF you think highways in Ontario have terrible left lane hoggers,
you have not been to Virginia.

This shot is on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. No trouble there, but I can imagine high winds causing a nightmare.

So anyway, the best surprise of all was the military aircraft museum near Virginia Beach. Some FANTASTIC WWI and WWII replicas and authentic aircraft there. I would HIGHLY recommend
anyone take the tour there, led by former USAF pilots (if you like aircraft, that is)

Curse you Red Baron!